Computers

Under my recent post regarding the Google Apps user agreement for non-profits, a discussion was started about how Christians should respond to terms of service like the one mentioned in the post. Here's my attempt to restate the position of one commenter:

The best way to keep the interpretation of these regulations (and terms of service, clauses, etc) from becoming established in a way that does violence to our understanding of the words used in them is to agree to said regulations and then battle it out in court if the need arises. We all see how Google and others are trying to set precedents that we disagree with, and so we shouldn't simply accept their interpretations, but should instead fight them. So, in this case, Christians should agree to Google's terms of service and then be ready to fight it out if the matter ends up in court.

I hope that I have accurately stated the position of the commenter. Here's my response:

Let's start with the word "discriminate". This commenter stated that "discrimination involves a denial of someone's civil rights." I don't think that's right, and I don't think that's how Google understands the word, either. The word "discriminate" now carries a great deal of negative baggage...

Every time you use a website, or install a piece of software, you're forced to state that you've read and agree to terms of service that are often tens of thousands of words long. No one reads those things, even though all the big companies—from Apple to Microsoft to Facebook—have them.

I don't talk about it much, but I've been using Macs since 1984 and am now on maybe my fifteenth or so Apple laptop—a 13 inch Air. It took me several years, but I finally started using an iPhone and now I use an iPhone 5. Operating systems to the side, these things are indestructible!

Joseph, Ben and I are very happy to present the new BaylyBlog! We hope you like what we've done to the place. Please take some time to look around. And while you check out the new design—I think Ben did a bang-up job, myself—you can also take advantage of a few of the new features:

Video games are the bane of manhood; and increasingly, of womanhood, also. More, they destroy Godliness. Followers of Jesus Christ should not be wasting hours on these things, let alone days, weeks, months, years, and decades. And yes, I know several men who are close to wasting a decade of their lives, now.

But it may not even be video games. Three years ago, now, the game I needed to delete from my laptop was Backgammon...

For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.

For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, and he will remind you of my ways which are in Christ, just as I teach everywhere in every church. Now some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I shall find out, not the words of those who are arrogant but their power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power. What do you desire? Shall I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness? (1Corinthians 4:15-21)

(Tim) In our semon this past Lord's Day, I was showing how utterly intimate the New Testament is, with names attached to commendations and failures, with I'm-your-father, you're-my-son declarations. The letters of the Apostle Paul inspired by the Holy Spirit are built around his knowledge of the particular sins of particular people. When he writes, he's not collecting royalties off his latest book or speakers fees for his participation in the latest intellectual debate among big Reformed brains disagreeing with one another over how many covenants can fit on the head of a pin. Rather, he writes his letters for the purpose of caring for souls, and thus the letters are fatherly, pastoral exhortations and admonitions and rebukes and threats--as well as ad hominem attacks on his own personal, pastoral opponents in Corinth and Galatia (for instance).

Doctrine has a point. God's prophets have always been accused of being impertinent because they're painfully pertinent in every last sentence and word. So the Apostle Paul might say:

"You're my beloved children. I'm not just a brain or a pedagogue; I'm not just a teacher, but I'm you're Daddy. You're not my sycophants or pupils; you're my beloved children. Now, dear sons, I command that you honor me as every son honors the father he loves: imitate me! I'm sending you Timothy. Like you guys, he's also my dear son. He'll help you imitate me."

But today, whether we have two or three hours a week in a megachurch or a small, tight Reformed congregation, it's unlikely we have anything close to early church intimacy. Tragically, though, with us it's a principle...

(Tim, w/thanks to Scott) Some of Church of the Good Shepherd's work is a Saturday men's class called David's Mighty Men. Stephen Baker and I teach, then the men meet in smaller groups for accountability and recitation of their Scripture memory. It's a two-year course of study and as practical as true godliness will always be. We teach male and female, courting, marriage, childbearing, work, authority and submission, fatherhood, church, doctrine...

Right from the beginning, we tell the men that we're out to kill "guyland." What's guyland?

Particularly for young men, guyland's almost always pornography, sports, or video games. Do you know how many men in your church are flunking out of life because...

(Tim) For about five years I've been using the Etymotic Research ER6i Isolator In-Ear Earphones (Black) and loving them so much that, about two years ago, I bought five pair for my sons and one dear missionary friend. Why the missionary friend?

Because these earphones fit in the ear canal and make flying almost bliss. They can be plugged into your iPod or the airplane's headphone receptacle. These headphones work much, much better than those the airlines hand out (or rent) because the Etymotic ER61s cut off all ambient noise. And I mean all. If there's a screaming baby or you're near the whining jet engines, you'll barely hear them.

The reason I'm putting up a link to them today is that Amazon is selling them right now for $48 and that's about half price. It's a great buy that only comes along about once a year...

(Tim) Here's a picture from Michael. Not sure if he agrees with it, but I do. There can be some good uses of these tools, but the vast majority of what I've seen is not good at all. Talk about false intimacy--this stuff is pornography for women--and men who wish they were and are becoming...

So, how much does God want you to know and tell? And what are the sins encouraged by knowing and telling too much?